Morning, Friday, 22nd November 2024
Online
This conference will discuss the financial stability, resilience and sustainability of the UK HE sector.
It takes place with policy ambitions laid out by the new Government for creating a secure future for the sector and speculation that Government will raise tuition fees to £10,500 over five years and restore maintenance grants for the poorest students. The conference also follows the recent announcement that the role of the Office for Students will be refocussed to prioritise the financial stability of the HE sector alongside delivery of improved quality and outcomes for students.
Delegates will examine key issues in the context of the recently published Fit for the Future: Independent Review of the Office for Students led by Sir David Behan, and the unprecedented challenges facing the sector. The report made recommendations for the OfS, Government and HE sector to consider, including on the development of sustainable funding models, transparency, support for at-risk institutions, and enhanced financial oversight.
We also expect discussion on implications for financial stability in the HE sector of findings in:
- University UK’s Blueprint for the future of the HE sector - suggesting a hybrid system alongside indexing tuition fees to inflation and restoring the teaching grant, as well as longer-term reviews of teaching models and university research, greater use of AI, new group structures and increased collaboration to save costs
- the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Key financial Indicators 2022/2023 - indicating a significant number of HEIs now in deficit
- the OfS’ Financial sustainability of higher education providers in England: 2024 - concluding that there has been a decline in English HE financial performance, with a higher number of providers expected to fall into deficit, in part due to the risk of reliance on student fees and enrolment forecasts not being met
Delegates will assess what is needed from regulators, government, and the sector itself to effectively identify and respond to emerging financial risks, and develop regulatory frameworks that provide clarity on the conditions for intervention and support. They will also consider options for future funding settlements that work for universities, staff, students and the taxpayer.
Further sessions bring out discussion on next steps for UK HEI business models and latest developments in wider initiatives aimed at restructuring and diversifying income streams to improve the sector’s resilience, including approaches to strategic business partnerships and the commercialisation of research.
We also expect discussion on further priorities for the sector as HEIs seek to address financial concerns, including:
- student numbers: strategies and best practice for sustaining enrolment levels
- UK HE in a global market: maintaining the UK’s competitiveness as an international study destination whilst reducing reliance on international students
- regulation: options for working with government and the regulator to reduce regulatory burdens and develop a future funding settlement
- risk management: establishing an improved early warning system for identifying emerging challenges
- sector collaboration: proactive sharing of intelligence and data between institutions
- economic pressures: mitigating impacts of inflation and wider pressures on operating costs
- HE estates: latest thinking on improving cost-efficiency for estates maintenance and development, and investment to reduce carbon emissions
All delegates will be able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices, and more widely. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. Those due to attend include officials from DfE; DBT; Department for the Economy, NI; DSIT; IPO; and the Welsh Government.
